"Phys.org is reporting on a study [1]published in Nature Physics involving ICN2 at the UAB campus, Xi'an Jiaotong University (Xi'an) and Stony Brook University (New York), showing for the first time that ordinary ice is a flexoelectric material -- meaning it [2]can generate electricity when subjected to mechanical deformation ," writes longtime Slashdot reader [3]fahrbot-bot . From the report:

> "We discovered that ice generates electric charge in response to mechanical stress at all temperatures. In addition, we identified a thin 'ferroelectric' layer at the surface at temperatures below -113C (160K)," explains Dr. Xin Wen, a member of the ICN2 Oxide Nanophysics Group and one of the study's lead researchers. "This means that the ice surface can develop a natural electric polarization, which can be reversed when an external electric field is applied -- similar to how the poles of a magnet can be flipped. The surface ferroelectricity is a cool discovery in its own right, as it means that ice may have not just one way to generate electricity, but two: ferroelectricity at very low temperatures, and flexoelectricity at higher temperatures all the way to 0 C." This property places ice on a par with electroceramic materials such as titanium dioxide, which are currently used in advanced technologies like sensors and capacitors.



[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-025-02995-6?error=cookies_not_supported&code=31c732b4-dc6e-4134-a8bc-8c3d78d48499

[2] https://phys.org/news/2025-09-scientists-ice-generates-electricity-bent.html

[3] https://slashdot.org/~fahrbot-bot